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The award-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.

This actor, with filmography spanned Chinatown, passed away at home at her Ojai, California home. The news was announced through a message from her offspring, Academy Award-winning star Laura Dern, her daughter.

Her daughter, who starred with Diane Ladd in a number of films like Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my incredible hero as well as my profound gift of a mother”, noting that she was present as she died.

“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, performer, creative along with caring individual that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”

Early Career and Major Success

Her initial acting years included small roles in television programs such as Gunsmoke while the 1970s featured her performing with actor Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.

During that year, the year 1974, she appeared alongside Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her role brought Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category.

Later Decades

In the 1980s, she appeared in the thriller Black Widow and comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while also joining Alice, a television series derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

During the next ten years, she was given another Oscar nomination for supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her part in Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the mother of her actual daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she obtained another nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose, another movie which included her daughter.

“This was the picture that Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she flew us to the UK for a royal premiere and a party in our honor,” Ladd said regarding Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, grasping our hands, and weeping, seeing us act.”

That decade featured performances in comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a political comedy, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Laura Dern’s mom another time. That period also saw her score Emmy nominations for performances in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.

Collaborations with Daughter

She continued to star with Laura Dern in comedy drama Daddy and Them, Lynch’s Inland Empire and White’s satirical show Enlightened. She also appeared with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, a movie, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.

Her later TV roles included Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.

Behind the Camera

Ladd also wrote and directed the comedy the movie Mrs Munck featuring herself and ex-husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a talented star,” she said. “I was honored to direct him in a movie. Actually, I’m the only woman in recorded history who directed her former husband. I humorously say: ‘I tell women, if you seek payback, helm a movie with your ex.’ But I’m only kidding.”

Family Ties

Ladd was also a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a great influence on my life”.

Back in 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with a pulmonary condition and told she only had half a year left but made a full recovery after her daughter moved her to another medical facility.

“When you use your pain and not let it back up like an injury, instead use it to explore, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.